Self-contained, controlled furniture lighting device

Abstract

TITLE: "Self-contained, controlled furniture lighting device" The device comprises a central unit (CU) connected to a rechargeable battery (Bat), a niche module (MN), a drawer module (MT), and a photovoltaic cell (Cphv) for charging the battery (Bat), integrated into the front of the furniture (M). The niche module (MN) includes a motion sensor (CmvN), a light sensor (CluxN) housed within the niche to measure the ambient light outside the niche (N), and a lighting element (EeN). The drawer module (MT) includes a drawer sensor (CT) and a lighting element (EeT). The central unit (CU) receives the light signal (SluxN) and the motion signal (SmvN) from the niche (N) to control the niche lighting element (EeN), and the motion signal (SmvT) from the drawer (T) to control the drawer lighting element (EeT). The central processing unit (CPU) manages the charging / discharging of the battery (Bat). Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: Self-contained, controlled furniture lighting device FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-contained, controlled lighting device integrated into the furniture to illuminate a niche and one or more drawers. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] There are multiple ways to illuminate the inside of furniture, for example by means of door opening detectors. These known installations require connection to a network if this is possible by proximity of a socket or the use of batteries.

[0003] None of the known installations are autonomous; therefore, operation requires maintenance in the case of battery power supply.

[0004] PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention aims to develop a piece of furniture comprising an autonomous and reliable lighting device, facilitating the lighting of certain parts of the furniture comprising a niche and drawers.

[0006] DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a furniture-controlled lighting device for illuminating a niche and at least one drawer of the furniture, comprising:

[0008] - a central unit connected to a rechargeable battery, a niche module controlling the lighting of the niche and a drawer module controlling the lighting of the drawer and a photovoltaic cell to charge the battery, this cell being integrated into the front of the furniture.

[0009] the niche module comprising:

[0010] - a niche motion sensor detecting movement in the niche and generating a movement signal

[0011] - a light sensor in the niche to measure the ambient light at the outside of the niche, and

[0012] -a lighting element,

[0013] the drawer module comprising:

[0014] - a sensor detecting the open / closed state of the drawer,

[0015] - a lighting element,

[0016] - the central unit receiving the light signal and the movement signal of the niche to process it and control the activation of the niche lighting and the drawer signal to process it and control the drawer lighting element,

[0017] - the central unit managing the charging / discharging of the battery and the lighting of the drawer or the niche, according to the information programmed into the central unit.

[0018] The self-contained lighting system, integrated into the furniture, has the advantage of completely independent operation, requiring no maintenance, monitoring, battery replacement, plugging into a socket, and eliminating the bulky power cable.

[0019] According to another feature, the equipment 1 comprising the central unit UC, the battery Bat and its regulator RG is carried by a support.

[0020] According to another advantageous feature, the top of the support 2 carries the CpvH photovoltaic cell.

[0021] The lighting device, whose equipment is mounted on a support, has the advantage of being assembled independently of the furniture before being integrated into it by simply installing the support and then the drawer unit and the niche module. Particularly advantageously, the components of the niche module or the drawer module are assembled on their respective supports, which facilitates their installation. Brief description of the drawings

[0022] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment of a piece of furniture incorporating a controlled automatic lighting device, shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

[0023] [Fig-1] Front view of an embodiment of a piece of furniture incorporating a self-contained automatic lighting device,

[0024] [Fig.2] Diagram of the autonomous automatic lighting device.

[0025] DESCRIPTION OF AN IMPLEMENTATION METHOD

[0026] According to [Fig.1], the invention relates to a piece of furniture M with drawers T, TX in the lower part and storage compartments CR in the upper part and a niche N in between. This piece of furniture incorporates an autonomous lighting device 100, for controlled lighting, i.e. automatic lighting of the niche N or of a drawer T to facilitate access and use.

[0027] Fig. 2 shows the diagram of the autonomous lighting device 100, integrated into the furniture M. The lighting device 100 consists of equipment 1 carried by a support 2, ensuring the management and supply of a lighting module MT equipping a drawer and a lighting module MN of the niche.

[0028] The equipment 1 consists of a support 2 fixed to the front of the furniture M, for example, on the crossbar above the niche N, and which carries the equipment 1 comprising a central unit UC controlling the operation of the device 100 and the battery Bat powering the device 100. This battery Bat is charged by a The Cphv photovoltaic cell powers the central unit UC, the MT drawer module, and the MN niche module. The charging and discharging of the battery Bat is managed by a charge controller RG, which acts as the interface between the battery Bat and the Cphv photovoltaic cell, and also between the devices such as the central unit UC, the MT drawer module, and the MN niche module.

[0029] The MN, MT modules are connected to the central unit UC via their INFN, INFT interface.

[0030] The drawer module MT consists of a drawer sensor CT and a drawer lighting element EeT, for example, an LED. The drawer sensor CT detects the movement or open state of the drawer T to activate the lighting element EeT.

[0031] According to a simple embodiment, the CT sensor generates an opening signal Smvt of the ST drawer sent to the central unit UC and which, in turn, controls the activation of the lighting element EeT.

[0032] Depending on the operating mode selected, programmed, and stored in the central processing unit (CPU), the control signal SCT transmitted by the CPU to the INFT interface triggers the activation of the Eet element. This activation is, for example, timed for a set duration, stored in the CPU. If the drawer sensor CT can detect the open / closed state of the drawer T, the CPU can process the ST signal and control the power supply to the Eet element, then its deactivation. However, this open / closed state control can also be combined with a time delay starting from the open state, regardless of the drawer's closed state before the time delay period. This prevents battery depletion if the drawer T remains unnecessarily open while ensuring sufficient drawer illumination.

[0033] The MN niche module consists of a motion or presence sensor inside the niche, CmvN, which detects any movement within the niche. The sensor is oriented so as not to be triggered by movement near the niche, for example, at the niche entrance. The range of the CmvN sensor is either fixed uniformly or can be set to a specific range, and this setting is then stored in the central unit.

[0034] The MN module also includes a light sensor N that detects the ambient light outside the niche. The motion sensor CmvN generates a motion signal SmvN and the light sensor CluxN generates a light signal SluxN.

[0035] These two signals are sent to the central processing unit (CPU) which processes them and controls the lighting element EeN of the niche according to the interpretation of these two signals and operating program of the niche lighting recorded in the central unit.

[0036] Simply put, for example, the activation of the lighting element EeN is ensured only if the ambient brightness is below a threshold, logically requiring lighting of the niche to facilitate its use.

[0037] The lighting of the EeN element is preferably timed to remain illuminated for a certain time, even after the disappearance of the SmvN movement signal.

[0038] The self-contained device 100 also includes a control button Bc that generates a control signal SBc in the form of either a pulse or a continuous signal reproducing a state (closed state or open state) of the control button. The BC button controls the lighting of the niche until the battery is depleted; this signal is emitted by the button or is only taken into account if the ambient light conditions permit lighting.

[0039] The signal from the SBc button is sent to the central processing unit (CPU), which prioritizes this control signal to activate the niche lighting (EeN) independently of the signals from the CN and CluxN sensors. In the absence of this signal from the SBc, the niche lighting element (EeN) is activated according to the niche lighting's automatic operating program.

[0040] The MN, MT modules and the central unit UC are connected to the battery Bat via the regulator RG which constitutes the interface of the battery Bat.

[0041] The power supply of the sensors and lighting elements of the modules is controlled by the central unit UC which authorizes or prohibits the power supply of the sensors according to criteria or operating programs to optimize the use of the energy of the battery Bat.

[0042] The power supply for the lighting elements EeN, EeT is also taken from the power supply line connected to each module.

[0043] The above description, although applied to a single drawer T, can also be split to apply to several drawers Tx operating independently or to provide lighting to several drawers Tx from the drawer module MT associated with a single drawer T and the open / closed state of that single drawer T.

[0044] The equipment 1, comprising the central processing unit UC, the battery Bat with its regulator RG, and the photovoltaic cell Cphv, is preferably installed on a plate-shaped support 2 that is fixed or integrated into the front of the cabinet M in an area of ​​the cabinet located, preferably, at a height to benefit from even ambient lighting, close to the niche N and the drawer T to reduce the wiring between the central processing unit UC and the modules MT, MN. The equipment 1 of the lighting device 100 is preferably in the form of a printed circuit board, supported by support 2, and connected to the photovoltaic cell Cphv, and to the battery Bat and to the outputs and inputs to the modules MN, MT and the connection of the control button Bc.

[0045] NOMENCLATURE OF MAIN ELEMENTS

[0046] 100 Self-contained controlled lighting device

[0047] 1 Support equipment

[0048] 2 Support

[0049] M Furniture

[0050] N Niche

[0051] T Drawer

[0052] UC Central processing unit

[0053] Bat Battery

[0054] Cphv Photovoltaic cell

[0055] MN Niche Module

[0056] CluxN Drawer Brightness Sensor

[0057] CmvN Motion sensor in the niche

[0058] EeN Niche Lighting Element

[0059] SmvN Motion signal in the niche

[0060] Bc Niche Lighting Control Button

[0061] MT Drawer Module

[0062] CT Drawer Sensor

[0063] SmvT Drawer Status Signal

[0064] EeT Drawer lighting element

[0065] RG Battery Regulator

[0066] INFN Niche Module Interface

[0067] INFT Drawer Module Interface

Claims

Demands

1. A self-contained, controlled lighting device (100) for a piece of furniture (M) to illuminate a niche (N) and at least one drawer (T) of the furniture, comprising: - a central unit (CU) connected to a rechargeable battery (Bat), a niche module (MN) controlling the lighting of the niche, a drawer module (MT) controlling the lighting of the drawer, and a photovoltaic cell (Cphv) for charging the battery (Bat), this cell being integrated into the front of the furniture (M). A) The niche module (MN) comprising: * a niche motion sensor (CmvN) detecting movement in the niche (N) and generating a motion signal (SmvN), * a light sensor (CluxN) installed in the niche to measure the ambient light outside the niche (N), and * a lighting element (EeN). B) The drawer module (MT) comprising: * a drawer sensor (CT) detecting the state of the drawer (T). * a lighting element (EeT),C) The central unit (CU) receives - a brightness signal (SluxN) and a movement signal (SmvN) from the niche (N) to process this signal and control the activation of the niche lighting element (EeN) and - a movement signal (SmvT) from the drawer (T) to process this signal and control the drawer lighting element (EeT) and - the central unit (CU) manages the charging / discharging of the battery Bat and the lighting of the drawer (T) or the niche (N), according to programmed instructions from the central unit CU.

2. Device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the equipment (1) comprising the central unit (CU), the battery (Bat) and a regulator (RG) is carried by a support (2).

3. Device (100), according to claim 2, characterized in that the top of the support (2) carries the photovoltaic cell (Cphv).

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